Central SA
Mangaung finally pays political staff─── LUCKY NKUYANE 11:17 Tue, 15 Mar 2022
The embattled Mangaung Metro Municipality has finally made payments to irate political staff members who were up in arms due to the non-payment of their salaries.
This comes after the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) tried to salvage the situation following a total shutdown of administrative services at the metro's headquarters.
Workers have confirmed to OFM News that indeed monies were paid but some received only half their salaries. Over 100 political staff members on Monday blockaded all the entrances to the premises of the troubled municipality after the metro failed to pay them, as promised, on Friday.
The head of Cogta and acting City Manager (CM) were unavailable for comment after attempts to contact them.
The metro has been placed under administration in December 2019 for failing to perform its basic functions, which include service delivery. The metro, which was the first metro to be placed under administration in South Africa and also the first metro to adopt an unfunded budget, has been on the radar of the National Treasury with several records of correspondence.
OFM News also previously reported that National Treasury has allegedly told the cash-strapped Metro to reduce its number of Heads of Departments (HODs).
